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LIBRARY 


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Publications 


OF 


FIELD  MUSEUM  OF  NATURAL 

HISTORY 


ZOOLOGICAL  SERIES 


Volume  X 


Chicago,  U.  S.  A. 
igog  - 1923 


FURTHER   NEW   MAMMALS  FROM   BRITISH 

EAST   AFRICA. 


BY    WILFRED    H.    OSGOOD. 


Continued  study  of  the  Field  Museum's  collection  of  African 
mammals,  especially  of  the  difificult  Crocidurae,  has  resulted  in  the 
conclusion  that  eleven  further  new  species  and  subspecies  should 
be  added  to  the  rapidly  growing  list  of  the  Mammalia  of  British  East 
Africa.  With  one  exception,  these  have  been  compared  with  speci- 
mens of  allied  forms  in  the  British  Natural  History  Museum.  Types 
and  important  specimens  have  been  consulted  also  in  the  Academy 
of  Natural  Sciences  of  Philadelphia  and  the  United  States  National 
Museum  at  Washington.  It  is  a  pleasure  to  acknowledge  the  cour- 
tesies of  the  officials  of  these  institutions. 

Qraphiurus  parvus  dollmani  subsp.  nov. 

Type  from  Lukenya  Mountain  (Ulu  Kenya  Hills),  British  East 
Africa.  No.  16722  Field  Museum  of  Natural  History.  Adult  female. 
Collected  December  22,  1905,  by  E.  Heller. 

Characters.  Similar  to  Graphiurus  parvus  in  color  but  slightly 
larger  in  size  and  markedly  different  in  cranial  characters;  skull 
larger  throughout;  braincase  much  deeper  and  decidedly  elevated 
above  the  plane  of  the  rostrum;  molariform  teeth  broader.  Upper- 
parts  pale  wood  brown  to  Isabella  color,  the  hairs  deep  plumbeous 
basally,  then  narrowly  buffy  broccoli  brown,  then  tipped  with  darker 
brown;  sides  similar  to  back,  but  inclining  to  cinnamon  and  then 
nearly  pinkish  or  ochraceous  buff  along  a  narrow  line  between  the 
color  of  the  upperparts  and  the  underparts;  top  of  head  like  back, 
becoming  slightly  paler  on  the  nose;  a  well-defined  blackish  area 
from  the  base  of  whiskers  to  and  around  eye;  a  slight  buffiness  just 
below  the  black  bordering  the  lower  anterior  half  of  the  eye;  posterior 
cheeks  below  and  in  front  of  ear  buffy;  anterior  cheeks  below  eye 
white,  the  uppermost  hairs  white  to  their  bases,  separated  from  those 
of  the  chin  by  hairs  narrowly  grayish  basally ;  underparts  creamy  white, 
the  hairs  of  the  chin  and  anterior  throat  entirely  white,  those  of  the 
remaining  underparts  with  broad  slaty  bases ;  pectoral  region  frequently 
stained  with  reddish  brown;   inner  side  of  front  legs  and  axillae  buffy; 

15 


i6     Field  Museum  of  Natural  History  —  Zoology,  Vol.  X. 

feet  white,  tarsal  joint  dusky;  tail  brownish  drab  above,  slightly  paler 
below  and  finely  vermiculated  with  whitish,  certain  white-tipped 
hairs  of  the  under  side  sometimes  showing  from  above  as  a  narrow 
whitish  border. 

Measurements.  Type:  Total  length  i6o;  head  and  body  83; 
tail  vertebrae  77;  hind  foot  (c.  u.,  dry)  15.8;  ear  14.  Skull  of  type: 
Greatest  length  25;  basilar  length  18.3;  zygomatic  breadth  13.6; 
interorbital  constriction  3.9;  nasals  8.9;  postpalatal  length  10.5; 
diastema  5 ;  depth  from  top  of  braincase  to  lower  surface  of  audital 
bulla  10;   length  of  upper  toothrow  2.9. 

Remarks.  Comparison  of  the  above-described  form  with  the  type 
of  parvus  reveals  considerable  difference  in  cranial  characters  but 
such  color  differences  as  are  observable  seem  due  to  the  fact  that  the 
type  of  parvus  was  preserved  originally  in  alcohol. 

The  new  form  is  named  for  Mr.  Guy  Dollman,  of  the  British 
Museum,  who  has  lately  devoted  considerable  time  to  a  study  of  the 
genus  Graphiurus. 

Thamnomys  oblitus  sp.  nov. 

Type  from  Voi,  British  East  Africa.  No  17123  Field  Museum  of 
Natural  History.  Adult  female.  Collected  April  14,  1906,  by  E. 
Heller. 

Characters.  Allied  to  Thamnomys  macmillani  but  tail  decidedly 
longer  and  color  somewhat  deeper;  skull  slightly  smaller.  General 
coloration  much  as  in  T.  s.  polionops,  but  slightly  paler  with  the  rump 
more  decidedly  contrasted  with  the  back,  shoulders,  and  head. 
Anterior  upperparts  from  crown  to  middle  of  back  clay  color  slightly 
tinged  with  olivaceous;  posterior  back  and  rump  bright  ochraceous 
scarcely  modified  by  scattered  dusky-tipped  hairs;  forehead,  nose, 
and  sides  of  face  olivaceous  gray;  underparts  white  distincth^  tinged 
with  strawcolor  except  on  chin  and  sides  of  throat,  all  the  hairs 
with  white  bases ;   feet  pale  buff,  at  least  medially. 

Measurements.  Type:  Total  length  286;  head  and  body  no 
tail  vertebrae  176;  hind  foot  (c.  u.,  dry)  22;  ear  16.  Skull  of  type 
Greatest  length  27.1;  basilar  length  20.5;  zygomatic  breadth  12.5 
interorbital  constriction  4.4;  nasals  9.4;  interparietal  8.7  x  4.8 
postpalatal  length  9.3;  diastema  6.5;  palatine  sHts  5.7;  length  upper 
toothrow  3.8. 

Remarks.  The  single  specimen  representing  this  species  was  by 
chance  not  included  with  the  others  recently  taken  to  the  British 
Museum  for  study.  Therefore,  no  actual  comparison  with  T.  mac- 
millani has  been  made,  but  the  type  of  that  species  was  carefully 
examined  and  is  still  fresh  in  mind. 


April,  1910.      New  East  African  Mammals  —  Osgood.  17 

Arvicanthis  dorsalis  maculosus  subsp.  nov. 

Type  from  Voi,  British  East  Africa.  No.  17265  Field  Museum  of 
Natural  History.  .  Adult  male.  Collected  April  22,  1906,  by  E. 
Heller. 

Characters.  Similar  to  Arvicanthis  dorsalis  rosalia  but  upperparts 
more  grayish  except  at  the  base  of  the  tail  and  the  posterior  part  of 
the  rump;  sides,  especially  toward  the  flanks  marked  with  fairly 
distinct  broken  rows  of  quadrate  spots  of  clay  color  on  a  grizzled 
olivaceous  tawny  ground;  nape  and  shoulders  grizzled  olivaceous; 
sides  of  neck  and  face  similarly  olivaceous  but  slightly  paler,  the  deep 
russet  ears  sharply  contrasted;  underparts  pure  creamy  white  to 
roots  of  hairs.  Skull  larger  and  with  decidedly  heavier  dentition 
than  in  A.  d.  rosalia. 

Measurements.  Type:  Total  length  258;  head  and  body  118; 
tail  vertebrae  140;  hind  foot  29.5;  ear  17.  Skull  of  type:  Greatest 
length  31.6;  basilar  length  25.5;  zygomatic  breadth  15.7;  nasals 
12.2;  interorbital  constriction  4.7;  postpalatal  length  11.3;  diastema 
7.6;    palatine    slits  6;    upper    toothrow   5.9;    greatest  width  m'2.1. 

Remarks.  The  type  and  only  specimen  of  Arvicanthis  d.  rosalia 
in  the  British  Museum  differs  so  markedly  from  our  small  series  from 
British  East  Africa  that  the  separation  of  the  latter  is  scarcely  to  be 
avoided  although  the  two  forms  are  geographically  near.  The  type 
of  rosalia  may  perhaps  be  abnormal,  but  this  scarcely  seems  probable, 
since  it  differs  from  our  series  not  only  in  color  but  also  in  cranial  and 
dental  characters. 

Mungos  ichneumon  funestus  subsp.  nov. 

Type  from  Naivasha,  British  East  Africa.  No  17808  Field 
Museum  of  Natural  History.  Adult  female.  Collected  February  i, 
1906,  by  C.  E.  Akeley. 

Characters.  Similar  in  color  to  Mungos  ichneumon  of  northern 
Egypt,  the  hairs  of  the  upperparts  being  much  more  coarsely  an- 
nulated  than  in  M.  i.  caffer  of  South  Africa.  Size  slightly  smaller 
than  in  M.  ichneumon;  skull  with  shorter  nasals  and  weaker  denti- 
tion; width  of  incisive  series  reduced;  pm^  and  pm^  relatively  weak 
and  compressed ;   postorbital  processes  relatively  broad  and  heavy. 

Measurements.  Type:  Total  length  (dry  skin,  dressed)  1060; 
head  and  body  571;  tail  vertebrae  489.  Skull  of  type:  Greatest 
length  98;  basilar  length  90;  zygomatic  breadth  49.2;  interorbital 
constriction  17.7;  median  length  of  nasals  18.9;  width  between 
outer  sides  of  first  upper  premolars  16.7;  width  of  upper  incisive 
series  9.55;  front,  of  canine  to  back  of  m^  34-8;  length  pm^  5-25; 
length  pm^  (oblique)  9.75;   greatest  thickness  pm^  2.5. 


i8     Field  Museum  of  Natural  History  —  Zoology,  Vol.  X. 

Remarks.  The  cranial  and  dental  characters  given  above  are 
constant  in  the  small  number  of  skulls  examined.  Seven  adult 
skulls  from  East  Africa  and  five  from  Egypt  have  been  available. 
Apparently  none  of  the  South  and  West  African  forms  need  to  be 
considered  as  all  are  different  in  color.  M.  i.  angolensis  Bocage  is 
practically  identical  with  the  East  African  form  in  cranial  characters 
but  differs  widely  in  color.  M.  i.  parvidens  Lonnberg  from  Lower 
Congo  has  even  weaker  teeth  than  funestus  and  as  described  is  further 
characterized  by  small  size,  short  tail,  and  short  hair.  M.  i.  cajjer 
differs  still  further  both  in  color  and  in  cranial  characters.  Typical 
ichneumon  of  northern  Egypt  is  therefore  the  only  form  with  which 
East  African  material  needs  close  comparison. 

Sylvisorex  mundus  sp.  nov. 

Type  from  Kijabe.  British  East  Africa.  No  16801  Field  Museum 
of  Natural  History.  Adult  male.  Collected  January  24,  1906,  by  E. 
Heller. 

Characters.  Similar  to  Sylvisorex  granti  of  Mount  Ruwenzori ; 
size  larger;  tail  relatively  shorter;  braincase  narrower  and  slightly 
deeper;  rostrum  more  slender;  second  unicuspid  relatively  small. 
Skull  and  teeth  smaller  and  braincase  relatively  wider  than  in  5. 
sorella.  Upperparts  dark  blackish  slate;  underparts  slightly  paler 
than  upper;  hairs  of  back  4-5  mm.  in  length;  feet  sooty  brownish, 
darkest  on  the  inside;    tail  blackish  above,  somewhat  paler  below. 

Measurements.  Type:  Total  length  129;  head  and  body  70; 
tail  vertebrae  59;  hind  foot  12.5.  Skull  of  type:  Greatest  length 
17.2;  greatest  breadth  8.45;  postpalatal  length  7.4;  greatest  width 
between  outer  sides  of  molars   5.3;    length  of  upper  toothrow   7.1. 

Remarks.  The  types  of  the  species  allied  to  this  form,  5.  granti 
and  5.  sorella,  are  both  in  alcohol,  so  it  is  not  possible  to  determine 
their  exact  natural  coloration,  but  they  are  sufficiently  distinguished 
by  cranial  characters.  Possibly  further  collections  may  demonstrate 
that  all  three  are  connected  by  gradations. 

Crocidura  voi  sp.  nov. 

Type  from  Voi,  British  East  Africa.  No.  16942  Field  Museum  of 
Natural  History.  Adult  male.  Collected  April  12,  1906,  by  E. 
Heller. 

Characters.  Size  rather  large;  tail  relatively  short,  scarcely  half 
as  long  as  head  and  body;  general  color  slaty  above  and  dull  yellow- 
ish or  grayish  white  below,  the  light  and  dark  areas  quite  sharply 
contrasted;  upper  lip  extensively  whitish;  feet  white.  Skull  large, 
long,  and  narrow;  teeth  heavier  than  in  any  other  east  African  shrew 
except  nyansce;  second  unicuspid  decidedly  larger  than  third. 


April,  1910.       New  East  African  Mammals  —  Osgood.  19 

Measurements.  Type  and  one  topotype,  respectively:  Total 
length  136,  153;  head  and  body  90,  116;  tail  vertebrae  46,  37;  hind 
foot  14.5,  14.  Skull  of  type:  Greatest  length  24.2;  width  of  brain- 
case  9.7;  maxillary  width  8.2;  length  of  toothrow  11;  i'  to  pm*  5.7: 
alveolar  length  pm*  2.3  ;  breadth  m^  3.1 ;  length  molariform  series  5.9. 

Remarks.  During  a  fairly  critical  examination  of  all  the  Croci- 
durae  in  the  British  Natural  History  Museum,  no  species  has  been 
found  having  any  close  relationship  to  the  one  here  described.  Its 
very  short  tail  combined  with  its  sharply  contrasted  slaty  and  white 
coloration  distinguish  it  externally  and  its  narrow  skull  and  heavy 
dentition  characterize  it  otherwise. 

Crocidura  parvipes  sp.  nov. 

Type  from  Voi,  British  East  Africa.  No.  16890  Field  Museum  of 
Natural  History.     Adult  male.     Collected  April  18,  1906,  by  E.  Heller. 

Characters.  Size  medium;  hind  foot  and  tail  very  short,  the  latter 
less  than  half  the  length  of  the  head  and  body.  Underparts  brownish 
fawn  color  slightly  broken  with  a  fine  speckling  of  paler  approaching 
drab  gray,  about  the  same  color  as  pale  examples  of  C.  jacksoni; 
underparts  white  tinged  with  creamy,  the  bases  of  the  hairs  pale  slate 
gray;  line  of  demarcation  between  upper-  and  underparts  sharpy 
passing  along  the  side  of  the  face  just  below  the  eye  through  the 
ear  (the  upper  part  of  the  ear  thus  being  brownish  and  the  lower 
whitish)  and  along  the  sides  above  the  foreleg  to  the  thigh ;  feet  and 
legs  whitish;  tail  broadly  whitish  below,  brownish  above.  Skull 
about  the  size  of  that  of  C.  jacksoni  but  slightly  shorter  and  broader 
with  the  teeth  slightly  shorter  and  broader  and  more  crowded; 
third  unicuspid  slightly  larger  than  second  but  appearing  smaller  in 
lateral  view  since  its  posterior  third  is  hidden  by  the  anterior  cusp  of 
pm^,  the  next  tooth. 

Measurements.  Type:  Total  length  122;  head  and  body  84; 
tail  vertebrae  38;  hind  foot  11. 5.  Skull  of  type:  Greatest  length 
20.7;  breadth  of  braincase  9.5;  maxillary  breadth  7.1;  length  of 
upper  toothrow  8.7;  i^  to  pm'*  4.2;  length  of  molariform  series  4.75; 
width  m^  2.35. 

Remarks.  The  coloration  and  proportions  of  this  species  suggest 
a  possible  relationship  with  Crocidura  bicolor  as  represented  by  speci- 
mens from  Caconda,  Angola.  But  C.  bicolor  is  a  much  smaller  species 
with  a  relatively  longer  tail  and  decidedly  smaller  skull. 

Crocidura  xantippe  sp.  nov. 

Type  from  Voi,  British  East  Africa.  No.  16888  Field  Museum  of 
Natural  History.     Adult  male.     Collected  April  15,  1906,  by  E.  Heller. 


20      Field  Museum  of  Natural  History  —  Zoology,  Vol.  X. 

Characters.  Allied  to  Crocidura  argentata  fischeri,  with  which  it 
agrees  in  the  general  color  of  the  upperparts,  but  tail  decidedly  longer 
and  more  extensively  dusk}^  on  the  upper  side.  Upperparts  in  fresh 
pelage  fawn  color  with  a  fine  ve^rmiculation  of  lighter  (almost  ecru 
drab) ;  underparts  and  upper  lip  dull  grayish  white,  the  bases  of  the 
hairs  mouse  gray  to  smoke  gray;  feet  white;  tail  above  broadly  dusky 
brownish,  below  whitish  for  proximal  two- thirds,  mixed  dusky  and 
whitish  for  terminal  third.  Skull  similar  to  that  of  fischeri  but  smaller 
and  with  a  more  compressed  rostrum  and  decidedly  smaller  teeth; 
second  unicuspid  very  slightly  smaller  than  third. 

Measurements.  Type:  Total  length  150;  head  and  body  90; 
tail  vertebrae  60;  hind  foot  15.  Skull  of  type:  Condylo-incisive 
length  22;  length  of  toothrow  9.6;  maxillary  width  6.8;  greatest 
width  of  m'  2.3. 

Remarks.  The  few  differences  between  this  species  and  C.  a.  fischeri 
are  so  pronounced  that  it  is  not  possible  at  present  to  include  it  with 
that  form  as  a  subspecies  of  argentata.  The  difference  in  the  size  of 
the  teeth  is  quite  decided  and  there  is  no  indication  of  gradation. 
The  color,  however,  is  about  as  in  fischeri  except  that  the  tail  is  darker. 

Crocidura  allex  sp.  nov. 

Type  from  Naivasha,  British  East  Africa.  No.  16820  Field 
Museum  of  Natural  History.  Adult  male.  Collected  January  31, 
1906,  by  E.  Heller. 

Characters.  Allied  to  C.  bottegi  and  possibly  to  C.  cunninghamei ; 
size  larger  than  in  bottegi  with  larger  skull  and  teeth;  color  lighter 
especially  on  underparts  and  feet;  size  somewhat  smaller  than  in 
cunninghamei;  skull  shorter  with  a  higher,  more  vaulted  braincase; 
teeth  smaller.  Upperparts  dull  brown;  underparts  buffy  gray;  feet 
grayish,  practically  same  color  as  underparts;  pelage  longer  and* 
coarser  than  in  cmniiHghamei. 

Measurements.  Type:  Total  length.  109 ;  head  and  body  64;  tail 
vertebrae  45;  hind  foot  12.  Skull:  Greatest  length  17.1;  greatest 
breadth  7.7;  maxillary  breadth  5.2  ;  postpalatal  length  7.9;  toothrow 
7.15;   greatest  width  m^  1.7. 

Remarks.  The  shape  of  the  skull  in  this  species  is  more  like  that  of 
bottegi  than  that  of  cunninghamei  and  its  teeth  though  larger  are  more 
like  those  of  bottegi.  C.  cunninghamei  has  a  longer,  narrower  skull 
and  a  flatter  braincase,  and  its  teeth  are  scarcely  smaller  than  in  small 
specimens  of  hildegardeae. 

Crocidura  fumosa  schistacea  subsp.  nov. 

Type  from  Lukenya  Mountain,  British  East  Africa.     No.   16884 


April,  1910.       New  East  African  Mammals  —  Osgood.  21 

Field  Museum  of  Natural  History.  Adult  female.  Collected  Decem- 
ber 15,  1905,  by  E.  Heller. 

Characters.  Similar  to  C.  fumosa  but  paler  and  less  brownish  in 
color  especially  on  the  underparts.  Upperparts  in  fresh  pelage  dark 
mouse  gray  with  a  little  light  silvery  ticking;  underparts  paler,  the 
basal  color  slate  color  to  blackish  slate  instead  of  slate  black,  the  tips 
very  pale  broccoli  brown,  much  paler  than  in  fumosa;  feet  averaging 
considerably  paler;  tail  decidedly  more  distinctly  bicolor  (in  fumosa 
as  a  rule  the  tail  is  practically  all  dark  or  at  most  only  very  slightly 
lighter  below). 

Measurements.  Type:  Total  length  145;  head  and  dody  93; 
tail  vertebrae  52  ;  hind  foot  (c.  u.)  15.  Skull  of  type:  Greatest  length 
23-1 ;  zygomatic  breadth  10. i;  postpalatal  length  10.6;  length  of 
toothrow  10.2. 

Remarks.  This  is  in  general  a  bluish  gray  shrew  while  true  fumosa 
is  a  dark  brownish  one  almost  as  dark  below  as  above.  Specimens 
from  Nairobi  tend  more  or  less  toward  the  new  form  but  appear  to  be 
referable  to  fumosa. 

Crocidura  turba  zaodon  subsp.  nov. 

Type  from  Nairobi,  British  East  Africa.  No.  16929  Field  Museum 
of  Natural  History.  Adult  male.  Collected  December  2,  1905,  by  E. 
Heller. 

Characters.  Very  similar  to  C.  turba  but  slightly  larger,  with  a 
slightly  longer  tail  and  somewhat  heavier  dentition.  Color  rather 
darker  than  in  the  type  of  turba  especially  on  the  underparts.  Upper- 
parts  rich  seal  brown ;  underparts  dark  mummy  brown ;  feet  entirely 
dark  blackish  brown  like  upperparts;  tail  entirely  blackish.  Skull 
somewhat  larger  than  in  turba  with  a  broader  and  relatively  flatter 
braincase;   teeth  slightly  larger  and  heavier  throughout. 

Measurements.  Type:  Total  length  158;  head  and  body  98 ;  tail 
vertebras  60;  hind  foot  (c.  u.)  18;  ear  9.  Average  10  topotypes: 
Total  length  160  (155-165);  head  and  body  99  (89-110);  tail  verte- 
brae 60  (56-65);  hind  foot  17  (16. 5-18).  Skull  of  type:  Condylo- 
incisive  length  24.3;  breadth  of  braincase  10.4;  maxillary  breadth 
7.4;  length  of  upper  toothrow  10.65;  i^  to  pm*  5.3;  length  molari- 
form  series  5.9;   breadth  m^  2.5. 


